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Savannah Bananas bring viral social media act to PNC Park | TribLIVE.com
Pittsburgh

Savannah Bananas bring viral social media act to PNC Park

Megan Swift
Megan Swift
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AP
Savannah Bananas pitcher Blake McGehee, right, dances during a pregame performance for the fans waiting for the gates to open before the team’s baseball game against the Wilmington Sharks, Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Savannah, Ga.
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Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole emcees a performance with the fans from on top of a dugout before a baseball game Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Savannah, Ga.
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Savannah Bananas center fielder Ty Jackson, bottom center, with banana yellow hair, stretches in the locker room before the team’s baseball game against the Macon Bacon, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Savannah, Ga.

The Savannah Bananas have stolen social media users’ hearts over the past few years, from viral TikTok dances to funny anecdotes — and this weekend, they’re poised to bring Banana Ball to PNC Park.

Though the Bananas played their inaugural baseball season in 2016, their widespread internet fame didn’t start until the pandemic in 2020.

The Savannah Bananas TikTok page grew from around 200,000 at the end of summer 2020 to its now mammoth cult following of 10.6 million on the platform.

@thesavbananas

With the handle @thesavbananas, the team, whose tagline is “We Make Baseball Fun,” garners millions of views and likes on each video.

One of the team’s three pinned videos — set to the viral Alex Warren song “Ordinary” — has over 40 million views and 4.8 million likes.

For those who don’t know, the Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team known for Banana Ball—a fast-paced, entertainment-driven twist on the traditional game.

@thesavbananas practicing to be the second bridesmaid to walk down the aisle ???? @Kyle “KJ” Jackson #alexwarren #ordinary #savannahbananas #bananaball ♬ original sound - thesavbananas

What can Pittsburgh expect?

Known for spunky dancing and unique entertainment, the Bananas bring their act to PNC Park in a two-game series this weekend.

Starting at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the Savannah Bananas will take on the Texas Tailgaters. Both games of Banana Ball are sold out, and resale tickets have been listed for anywhere from $100 to $3,000 online.

Fans lucky enough to snag a ticket will be in for a showstopping night on Pittsburgh’s North Shore — featuring the Bananas’ slick dance moves with a side of baseball.

The games also feature appearances by the Banana Nanas, a senior citizen dance team, the Man-Nana’s, a dad-bod cheerleading squad; and the Banana Splitz, a youth dance team.

The team also employs what it bills as the world’s only dancing umpire in Vincent Chapman

Some of the Savannah Bananas’ most popular dances and antics include TikTok favorites and Broadway callouts like Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True,” selections from the musicals “Hamilton” and “Chicago.”

Social media users lauded the Bananas’ camera people for following the players as they ran across the field to songs like Chappell Roan’s new single “The Subway.”

One of the videos that helped catapult the Bananas into superstardom was the team’s rendition of “I Don’t Dance” in 2022 from “High School Musical 2” — a callback to the iconic baseball scene between Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel in the movie.

@thesavbananas Replying to @BookBannedit you guys ask for this everyday - here’s a snippet of the one we filmed back in 2022???? is it time for a remake?? #savannahbananas #bananaball #hsm #idontdance #highschoolmusical ♬ original sound - thesavbananas

@thesavbananas the JB stomp>>>> #savannahbananas #justinbieber #daisies #bananaball #jb ♬ original sound - thesavbananas

@thesavbananas and you know what…we did go to work???? dc: @Thewilliamsfam #savannahbananas #bananaball #dance #foryou #chachaslide ♬ original sound - thesavbananas

Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.

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